Fair celebrates community

Cleveland County Fair memories — snapshots of people, animals, exhibits and rides — have been captured in thousands of negatives and prints since the fair opened in 1924.

U.L. “Rusty” Patterson and his wife, Marie Farrow Patterson, were given the daunting task of pouring over the boxes and books of photos and compiling a history book for the Cleveland County Fair.

“We had an interesting combination of photos,” Marie said. “This book was a challenge in the material you worked with. The photos were not labeled properly. Some were written on the back: ‘pig and horse’ or ‘man and two women.’”

Rusty, executive director of the Cleveland Community College Foundation, has co-authored five similar histories for the Images of America Series by Arcadia Publishing. He and his wife, a registered nurse with Gaston Memorial, dedicated the Cleveland County Fair book to the memory of his co-author on the other books, Dr. Barry E. Hambright , a Gardner-Webb political science professor for 40 years.

The Pattersons used Cleveland County Fair preminum books to help identify the photos. They talked to several people who attended the fair in the early years. One was Ambrose Cline, who has attended every fair in his lifetime since 1924, and his wife, Jean. The only other person living who has attended every fair is Charles Beam, Marie said. Rusty also remembered conversations he’d had with Joe Goforth , fair manager for 27 years.

“I got to know Joe when he served on the Cleveland Community College Foundation Board of Directors,” Rusty said. “Joe and I beaome good friends and I spent a lot of time visiting with Joe and learning about the history of the fair.”

A film made in the late 1970s or early 1980s by Mary Lopez also provided more information from Goforth . More details were gleaned from newspaper articles.

Through their research they discovered the fair’s positive impact on the county’s agricultural practices and economy for 50 years.

“While the excitement of the carnival rides and auto races proved crucial to the early success of the fair, it is important to recognize the impact Dr. J.S. Dorton (fair manager for 38 years) and the county fair has had on the economic development of Cleveland County,” wrote the Pattersons in the book’s introduction. “The fair attracted the best in cattle from top cattle-raising regions in the nation to be exhibited locally. Clevelanders saw firsthand what was possible in the industry and their efforts paid off.”

Farm families were encouraged to make improvements through contests held every year such as the Better Acres Program, sponsored by the Agricultural Workers Council of Cleveland County. Local businesses gave each family that participated prizes and the winning family was awarded a $1,000 grand prize. The participants received furniture, water heater, tires, electric blanket, coffee pot and 3,000 pounds of fertilizer, two $100 savings bonds, a Guernsey calf and $350 cash from anonymous donors.

Page 2 of 2 - Local businesses also showcased their new products at the fair.

“The fair was farm and city life coming together to celebrate the community,” Marie said. “Everybody was showing off their best.”

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE MIDWAY

The beginning: In the fall of 1923, the newly formed Kiwanis Club was looking for an event to sponsor. Under the leadership of club president O. Max Gardner, the club brainstormed and came up with sponsoring a fair. Local veterinarian Dr. J.S. “Doc” Dorton was chosen as manager, and he oversaw the construction of the grandstand, racetrack and livestock barn with exhibit halls in six months time. The fair’s opening day was Oct. 14, 1924, with 70,000 in attendance.

The fire: The stone grandstand burned on Christmas Eve 1951. Arson was suspected but never proven. The exhibit halls and offices were completely destroyed. Not to be deterred, Dorton used soil from the racetrack infield to cover over the ruins and make a natural incline with which to build the new grandstand. The stone wall facing the track remains intact today.

Racing: Ned Jarrett and Richard Petty raced their stock cars at the fair. Jarrett won both of the stock car races held in 1965, taking $1,000 for each race. Jarrett went on to win the 1965 Grand National drivers championship. Petty finished second to Jarrett in one of the races held at the fair. Horses, motorcycles, camels and ostriches also raced on the track.

WANT A COPY

The book will be available for $21.99 at the Cleveland County Fair, Sept. 27-Oct. 7. Copies may also be ordered from the Facebook page: Cleveland County Fair Book. The Pattersons will be autographing copies of the book on the two Saturday evenings at the fair.